Union of Utrecht

The Union of Utrecht (Dutch: Unie van Utrecht) is a treaty signed on January 23, 1579 in Utrecht, the Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under control of Spain. The Union of Utrecht is regarded as the foundation of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, which was not recognised internationally until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 ended the Eighty Years' War. The treaty was signed on January 23 by Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht (but not entire Utrecht) and the province (but not the city) of Groningen. The treaty was a reaction of the Protestant provinces to the 1579 Union of Arras (Dutch: Unie van Atrecht), in which the southern provinces (most of them now part of Wallonia) declared their support for the Catholic Spanish. On February 4, Ghent also signed. In March some cities from Friesland joined it, just like 3 of the 4 parts of Gelderland. In the summer, Amersfoort from the province of Utrecht also joined, just like Ypres, Antwerp, Breda and Brussels. In February 1580 Lier, Bruges and the surrounding area also signed the Union. The city of Groningen shifted from contra to pro under influence of Rennenberg and also signed the treaty. Later on, Zutphen also signed so Gelderland (of which Zutphen is a part) supported the Union completely. This happened in April 1580, just as the signing of Overijssel and Drenthe. This leads to a general and simplified overview of the parts that joined:\n* Holland\n* Zeeland\n* Utrecht\n* Gelderland\n* Groningen\n* Friesland\n* Drenthe\n* Overijssel\n* Brabant\n* Flanders Flanders was almost entirely conquered by the Spanish troops, just as half of Brabant, so they finally dropped out. The United Provinces still recognized Spanish rule after the Union of Utrecht. However, the Union contributed to the deterioration in the relationship between the provinces and their lord, and in 1581 the United Provinces declared their independence of the king in the Oath of Abjuration. Category: Eighty Years' War